Page 93 of Shadow Kissed
“Terror, you seem troubled.”
“I’m fine.” I sigh, sitting up and pretending not to stare as he strips out of his shirt and pulls off his trousers. “I’m just tired and I’ve got a headache.”
Raegal frowns and studies me as he walks over to the bed. “Do you need me to heal you?”
I hold out a hand. “I do not. You can keep your shadow lips to yourself tonight.”
This earns me a smirk as he pulls back the covers and climbs in beside me. I turn to face him, and I’m struck dumb for a second as the moonlight falls across his face and those grey eyes shine like silver. Gods, he is handsome.
“What is the prince like?” I ask him out of nowhere and his face turns from a relaxed expression to one of hostility. “I’m curious.”
He lies down and gestures for me to do the same so that his shadows can wrap around me.
“The prince is a man haunted by the demons of his past.”
I lay my face on my hands and stare at him while he looks up at the ceiling, appearing lost in a world of his own.
“That sounds lonely.”
Raegal nods his head and offers me a tight smile. “He is alone. He doesn’t really fit in anywhere anymore.”
I scoff, comprehending that emotion all too well. “I understand how he feels. I was always an outsider with the kids my age at home.”
“And now you’re here, with the other Shadow Kissed?”
I ponder his question for a beat, feeling his eyes on me as he waits for my answer. “I don’t feel like I fit in here either.”
Raegal continues to watch me, and I risk a glance his way. Once he holds my eyes, it’s hard to look away. It is like he has placed a spell on me. “Perhaps you’re trying too hard to find reasons not to fit in. I think you seek reasons not to get close to the other girls. That way, you won’t get hurt.”
I swallow. It’s like he peels back my armour and sees the rejected girl inside. “I’ve managed just fine without any female friends so far.”
He nods. “And when you’re in my realm and you are in an unfamiliar world, wouldn’t it be nice to have other girls to lean on who are experiencing the same anxieties and fears as you?”
I frown. If I’m honest, I’ve always tried not to think about life after the reaping ceremony. In many ways, I’ve lived in denial. The image of the sunstone dagger flashes in my mind and with it so does knowledge that if I do as Corlan asks then I won’t be stepping a toe through that gateway to his realm. “Maybe no one will choose me.”
He snickers in response. “Trust me, Terror, someone will choose you.” His eyes linger on my lips, and I swallow, aware of how close we are and how his shadows cover every inch of my body. Need uncoils low in my stomach, and I curse inwardly at my treacherous body and the way it responds to this man. My eyes flutter open and shut as I fight the tiredness that’s trying to pull me under.
“Sleep, Terror. I’ve got you.”
36
RAEGAL
Ileave Reya sleeping peacefully in her bed. At first, I had hoped that covering her in my scent would drive the mutts away, but it isn’t working. The numbers continue to grow and it’s making the residents of Shadow Valley anxious. Rumours spread of a Night Realm invasion, despite years of no sign of life from the Night Borne. Technically, there is no reason for me to join her in her bed every night now, so why do I hesitate not to?
Because you like the feel of her,my shadows whisper.
Because she’s ours.
I growl inwardly at that voice in my head. I will tell her I will leave her to sleep in peace tonight. No doubt she’ll be pleased to me see the back of me and have her bed back to herself. My shadows grumble in disagreement and I choose to ignore them. Some distance between me and Terror will be a good thing.
I’m looking through the latest intelligence we have on the missing Shadow Kissed but there’s still no firm lead. I doubt the rebels would do any harm to the girls, given they say that they rescued them from their terrible fate. In some ways, I agree withthem. We are forcing Asen women to marry us and leave their homes forever, but without doing so, my kind would cease to exist, and I will do anything to protect my people.
There is a sharp rap on my door, and Jasiel strides into the room. He takes a seat opposite me and gestures to the documents in front of me. “We’ll find them. It’s just taking longer than we hoped. We have our sources out there in the towns and villages.”
I nod my head and return the papers to my desk drawers. “Let us hope so, otherwise our king is going to be enraged that we have two fewer girls at the reaping ceremony.” I reach for the leather notebook on my desk and push it across to Jasiel. He quirks a brow, looking intrigued, and I gesture for him to open it. He flicks through the pages, his eyes skimming over the content, and he looks up at me, puzzled.
“What’s this, some kind of shadow guide to the Asen world?”